Solar roofing tiles – the future of solar energy?

Tesla has unveiled a new design of solar panels that also act as roofing tiles. The innovative idea intends to be a more attractive proposition for those looking to add solar panels to their building.

The solar roof panels are made of textured glass tiles with integrated solar cells. Visually, they resemble regular roofing tiles; however, they generate energy from sunlight. When people consider installing solar panels, the aesthetics can unfortunately sometimes outweigh the environmental benefits they provide.

The introduction of a subtle and unnoticeable design could see more people adopt solar panels.

“This is sort of the integrated future. An electric car, a Powerwall and a solar roof. The key is it needs to be beautiful, affordable and seamlessly integrated,” said Elon Musk, CEO at Tesla. “The goal is to have a roof that’s less than the installed cost of a roof plus electricity.”

The solar panels are scheduled to be released in the US in late 2017 and there is currently no release date planned for the UK. Despite this, the innovation gives an indication into the future of solar energy.

Functional and appealing

The benefits of renewable energy are now common knowledge – the sun, for example, provides more than enough energy in just one hour to supply the Earth’s energy needs for an entire year. But now, not only are these products using renewable energy, they are doing so with a seamless look.

Electrical storage has too long been labelled the future of solar energy. At the Tesla unveiling event, the Powerwall 2 was announced too, a major upgrade of its battery for electricity storage.

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